Narrative Connection
How these two moments in the story relate
Why These Connect
The narrative assertion
"The Doctor's abrupt withdrawal from the rescue planning in Episode 17 pushes Polly to take a more assertive role, which culminates in her strongly advocating for including Ben's needs in Episode 18."
inferred by llm_cross_episode_character
Why This Matters Across Episodes
The longer arc this connection carries
Polly's frustration with the Doctor's evasion in Episode 17 (where she insists 'You must have a plan') directly leads to her later active involvement in assigning roles to the group in Episode 18. This shows her growing confidence and independence in critical moments.
About Causal Connections
A directly causes B. The first event sets forces in motion that produce the second. These are the load-bearing connections of plot--remove one and the story structure collapses.